Friday Favorites for March 22nd

Welcome once again to my weekly feature of Friday Favorites. My journey as a green mom is only a few years old, and each week I highlight a few of the products that I have come to love as I travel down this eco-friendly road. The products I’ll highlight could range from nutrition to cleaning to fitness to things that just make my life easier. So, without further ado, here are the items that made the cut this week!

Kickin’ Dairy to the Curb

While it may not be for everybody, I recently made a decision to move away from most dairy products. Since I have done so, I don’t experience any digestive issues and I just feel lighter and healthier. Obviously, Vitamin D and calcium are essential to my diet and I eat several different types of calcium-rich foods, as well as taking a good supplement. But a product I thought I would never like is Silk Almond Milk.

This amazing product is a favorite for SO many reasons. At only 30 calories a serving, it has 50% more calcium than dairy milk. It can be enjoyed by virtually anyone because there is no dairy, soy, lactose, gluten, egg or MSG. You will not find any cholesterol or saturated fat and it’s an excellent source of Vitamin E. It also comes in a completely recyclable container! The best part? Lots of yummy goodness.

I use this in my daily protein smoothies, in cereal, for cooking and baking. My husband and son even like it and you won’t find any GMO’s. Score!!

But I must admit I’m not 100% dairy free…yet. The biggest reason is that I’m having a very hard time giving up my next product, Chobani Yogurt. I have yet to find a flavor I don’t like and my family agrees. When my kids were little (before I cared about things like this) I will admit that I gave in and bought products like Go-Gurt and all the other yogurts sporting cartoon characters and claiming to be healthy.

Now that I know better, I realize those products are filled with sugar and preservatives. Moms like me bought them because we were the victims of expert marketing. Chobani has no preservatives or artificial flavors and it includes 5 live and active cultures. The probiotics help with tummy troubles and it’s a great way to incorporate fruit into your little one’s diet. Extra protein and the absence of gelatin and thickeners complete the package. Bravo!

Get to Steppin’

I used to be an amazingly active mom. Besides working out, I had a huge yard to care for and was also chasing the kids around. Whatever the kids played, mom played too. Whatever I ate, I seemed to burn up almost effortlessly. Ah, those were the days!

Now, the youngest is almost 14 years old and I’m no longer that run around like crazy kind of mom. Occasionally, my son will “allow” me to shoot baskets in the driveway with him and he might surprise me by accompanying me on a walk now and then. Other than that, he wants his space. And since we downsized when the older 2 kids moved out, I don’t have near the house or yard to take care of. So it’s not as easy these days to stay fit. Yep, I gotta work at it.

So my last favorite product is my Pedometer. Sometimes, I can be at my computer for hours without moving much, which is decidedly not good for the body. Like I said, no kids to chase around and not much housework or yard work to speak of. Most of my time is spent doing research, teaching online classes, or writing and promoting my blog. This handy little gadget reminds me to walk.

As soon as I get out of bed, I attach it right to my waistband and get on with the day. The goal is always to take 10,000 steps a day. According to the average person’s stride, that is the equivalent of walking 5 miles per day. Since my life is much more sedentary than it used to be, that isn’t very easy. The pedometer shows me where I am in terms of steps at any given time of the day. It also shows me how many calories I’ve burned. Yes!!

Most sedentary individuals only average about 2,000 steps, or 1 mile, per day. So on those days when I don’t make it to the gym, or I’m lifting instead of doing cardio, I can make sure I take the steps I need (literally and figuratively) to stay on track. Walking is great for overall fitness, weight loss and it helps to raise HDL (happy) cholesterol, which is great for your heart.

So there you have it: my favorites for the week. What do you think? Comments are not just appreciated, they’re recommended!